Write four paragraphs to define the term 'physical computing'.


Physical computing involves having an essentially tangible computing experience. This involves physical motions to manipulate computer objects. Essentially your hands and body act as the mouse powered using movement.
The Sixth Sense Project suggests the internet as a possible sixth sense for humans. Because this involves your digital life being manipulated using physical body gestures and becoming a part of daily lives as often as we make use of our original five senses: see, touch, smell, taste and hear.
For example, the SixthSense Project by a group of MIT students demonstrates what physical computing could be. This project demonstrates the applications of physical computing we could use in our everyday lives such as taking a photograph just by making a frame with your hands, having video play in the newspaper, browsing through files and documents through a projection on the wall and being able to move the objects and open applications using your body gestures.
Physical computing is a possible future of computing and the internet. Physical computing could integrate computing into our daily life with interactivity.

Here are two links to videos describing new authoring devices for prototyping, which include software and technical information. Write two paragraphs each describing their prototyping methods, and describing what they are enabled to do.


d.tools: Reflective Physical Prototyping:
d.tools involves computing with a physical form factor, this allows authoring and prototyping on a computer with tangibility. It makes use of tools such as an accelerometer, force sensitive resistor and IR distance ranger to control the view of the screen (portrait or landscape), help scroll through pages and activate certain functions.
d.tools allows authoring using physical movements by using an accelerometer to capture the thresholds at which controls the certain states of view. d.tools can help record these movements and functions and also show the various states through control.

Exemplar: Authoring Sensor-based Interactions by Demonstration:
Exemplar is a "programming by demonstration" tool. With the help of an accelerometer, exemplar can record the signals and movements and allows to associates certain controls with the respective movement.
Exemplar can help control errors and allow the users to mark and set certain thresholds and movements that are needed to help with the controls. This can help to filter the correct movements and interactions. It can also work with d.tools. Exemplar also allows java coding to be added into the software to help control the movements and sensor.